Fanfic Terms for the Newbie
By Tania
(With much thanks to Nemi for knowing a few meanings that I was lost on)

I've been asked by a couple of people in the last few weeks what certain fanfiction terms writers take for granted mean. I have also been called the unofficial welcome wagon for Angel/Spike lovin', but since I was sent neither crown nor scepter I will remain for now one of the humble masses looking for answers. We all know what things like WIP, AU, Beta, etc. mean, but surprisingly enough infants are not yet born with this knowledge ingrained in their synapses, who knew. So until evolution catches up with fanfic writers (which may indeed be de-evolution) I present some of the most common fanfic terms...

AU - This means alternate universe. This can be literal Alternate Universes shown in Canon, as in the world shown inBuffy's "Dopplegangland" and "The Wish" and Angel's "Birthday" and the Pylea Trilogy, or it can mean AU in the sense that a writer is taking a canon episode and tweaking it. So basically AU doesn't always mean far from canon, but it can mean way outside of canon too. Confused yet? Just remember that sometimes you have to suspend belief and let your backbone slip, it can lead to fun if you're willing to give it a try.

Archive - An Archive is a website that hosts (publishes) many stories or essays, usually by multiple authors. Archives are a collection of works used by permission from the original author, which means stories can not be used on other sites without permission from the author, not the archivist, it's all very important netiquette.

Beta - A Beta reader is a writer's best friend, and sometimes their
biggest foil. The Beta of the fanfic world is like the editor in the real
world. They check grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc., but also they check
canon, plot flow, characterization, and many other aspects that distinguish
great fiction from so-so fiction. The beauty of the fanfiction world is that
most writers are feedback whores and anyone can take on the role of Beta.
If you notice a lot of errors when reading fiction maybe you should consider
offering to be a beta at one of your favorite sites, the writers will thank
you for a fresh voice and you, the reader, can play an active role in your
obsession.

Birthdayverse - Fic set in the world shown in the Angel episode
"Birthday", in which Angel and Cordelia never met in LA and Doyle's
visions passed to Angel.

Buffyverse - (AKA Angelverse, Jossverse, Whedonverse) The many names the BtVS (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and AtS (Angel the Series) worlds are known under. Named after the lead characters as well as their creator Joss Whedon (AKA the great all knowing head).

Canon - Canon is a term used to describe things that have actually happened on the shows (BtVS & AtS in this case) or been specifically referred to as having happened in the past. This means that Buffy and Angel consummating their relationship exactly one time (in this universe, not the I will remember you-verse, put down that flame-thrower) is canon. Angel having been in Rome is canon as well, as it was shown in flashbacks, Angel being in the Tower of London at some point is also canon even though it was never shown, just mentioned in the Pylean Trilogy. There is some debate about events that take place in the BtVS and AtS novels being canon as Joss Whedon has told many a soul he pays no attention to those whatsoever, meaning Angel could have a butt-baby in the novels and it would have no relevance to the show. I will be compiling an Angel novel Timeline over the summer and I will leave it to the masses to decide if it shall serve as canon or not.

Drabble - A drabble began as a 100 word fic. These tend to be on a
theme and LiveJournal has several drabble communities. The idea of a drabble
is to convey an event or emotion in a short 100 words.

Drabblet - This is something between 100-500 words, usually a drabble
that got out of hand or a short character piece that never became a full fledged
fic.

Fandom - The community of people who share an interest in the Whedonverse
(or other shows), includes Live Journal communities, email lists, discussion
boards, those who get together for conferences, etc.

Fanfiction - This is why you are here. The inherent need for fans
to correct the show writers, elaborate, look into further, seek out subtext,
etc. The Buffyverse is unique in that Joss Whedon, the mastermind behind the
shows, encourages writers of fanfiction. Even in mass-media interviews he
has told people to go write fiction if they don't agree with the way a show
went.

Fanwank - A fanwank is the fandom equivalent of a retcon: rewriting
the show to suit your needs or finding an explanation for events that keeps
the character's motives true to the character as the writer sees it. These
are often far stretching theories on the why's or hows of canon.

Feedback - Many authors ask for feedback on their stories, and even
if they don't ask for it most authors do appreciate it. So what is feedback?
It's just a way of saying 'Hey, liked you're story.' Pure and simple. If you
love the imagery, characterization, plot, wit, humor, sex, etc. Tell the writer.
Fanfic writers make no money from the hours they while away trying to think
up a lube and position no other writer has used yet, so they thrive on the
knowledge that some one out there in cyber space is giving their spouse a
happy after reading their fic. So be sure to send a quick email as thanks.
(See Flames for what not to do in your feedback)

Ficathon - An event organized to bring writers together, writing with
a deadline (usually 3-6 weeks). Usually ficathons are theme or character based,
1000+ word stories where one writer requests a situation with 2-3 things they
would like to see, and 2-3 things they would not like to see in the story
written for them.

Ficlet - A story usually between 500-1000 words, different from a
PWP, these tend to be a little more plot driven, little windows into a moment
from the show, etc. Of course word counts are just a general guideline and
not set in stone.

Filk - A song with altered lyrics, to make it Buffy-related.

Flames - Flames are the opposite of helpful feedback. It means sending an email to an author to tell them you disliked the story you just read. Common examples are people who can't stand slash, yet read a slash story in its entirety then email the author to tell them they hate slash. Well, here's a thought, if you know you won't like it, don't read it. Remember there is a difference between saying 'you may not know it but you spelled bestiality wrong.' and saying 'if you can't spell it you shouldn't be doing it, dumb ass'. While I realize the latter is more tempting be polite, authors have memories like really well superglued traps, they won't forget your flame and will probably even send back a snarky response if you send them one.

Future Fic - A piece set after the end of canon episodes, this means post season-seven of Buffy, or past the current season of Angel. Stories set in the future give the author the chance to explore ideas possibly hinted at in canon as something that 'may happen' in the future. Also, when dealing with immortal characters, like Spike, Darla, Drusilla, and Angel, it releases the author from the burden of working the many characters of the Buffyverse into stories. An important rule when writing future fic is to remember that people's personalities don't generally change that much even over time, so if you have Spike ten years from now with a suit and tie on watching reruns of the Golden Girls you might want to rethink your characterization.

Getting Jossed - This is one of my favorites. Getting Jossed refers
to writing a line or plot that later shows up on a show. Angel's line about
smelling Wesley on Lilah in S4e2 came directly from my Ensouled series that
was written two months before the show aired. I nearly fell of my couch laughing
when the episode aired, which is one of the great compliments a fanfiction
writer can receive. While chances are the writers have not actually read the
fic getting Jossed it is nice to know our brains are sharing the same wavelines.

Het - Male/Female sex in a fic is called het. Het *warnings* sometimes
show up in slash stories as a background story such as Wes/Lilah or Gunn/Fred
in a season 3-4 centric Angel story.

Hurt/Comfort - Also called H/C, fic where one character is hurt or
beaten and another takes care of them, usually leading to sexual relations.

Kerfuffle - A silly word basically meaning an online argument involving
more than a couple people. These tend to happen on email lists, web-boards
and Live Journal. Often kerfuffled discussions are the issue of slash, Spuffy/Bangel,
Connor, the mind-wipe, character motivations, etc. Kerfuffles are generally
frowned upon, whereas constructive points of view are not.

Kink Fic - Fic written with a specific Kink or turn on in mind. Popular
kinks are "Daddy Kink" in which one character has a clearly dominant
role over another male character, "Bondage Kink" where characters
engage in BDSM, Master/Slave type relations. Others include Non-consensual/rape
fic, Piercings, H/C, and many others.

Live Journal - Also called LJ, a website where people from all over
the world have journals and interact with other people from fandom. Also home
to LJ 'communities' where fic and essays can be posted, critiqued, etc.

Mind-Wipe - The events of Season Four Angel where everyone's memories
of Connor were erased or altered are referred to as Mind-Wipe. Fic or essays
that address this issue are also referred to as being set in the Mind-Wipe
verse.

Netiquette - General term for online niceness. This applies to many online settings, proper netiquette involves everything from asking for permission before archiving stories or essays to writing responses/feedback to authors you enjoy and signing guestbooks at sites you visit. Netiquette's main purpose is to keep online life friendly and avoid hard feelings and misunderstandings.

Non-Canon - Is just the opposite of above. Relationships that have never
been shown, spoken of, or hinted at on the shows are non-canon, as are the
many great liberties taken with character histories. We know Spike was a poet,
but we don't know if he had a regular job, how old he was, if he was actually
born in London, if he had a last name, etc. Any of these details in fanfiction
are non-canon. While some situations have been hinted at (see subtext) they
cannot be considered canon.

OTP - One True Pairing - A term that originated on Live Journal, means
the two characters that make your heart pitter patter. Usually refers to a
romantic pairing such as Angel/Spike, Buffy/Angel, Wes/Fred, etc.

POV - Point of View - Means the character whose perspective is being highlighted or followed in a story.

PWP - Porn without Plot. This is a small, usually short, often funny, tale of smut, with either no or very little lead in. Like Knock Knock. Hello. Wanna shag. Okay. 1-2-3-fingers. Done. Bye. See you next week. 'Kay. Finis. Satisfied? Me either.

Posting Text - The warnings and disclaimers attached to the beginning of a story when posting to a mailing list or archive. These include, Title, Name, Rating, Warnings, Spoilers, Timeline, Thanks, Pairings, or author notes.

Shipper - Someone who has an affinity for a specific pairing or relationship, whether conventional or non. I myself ship Spike/Angel, as you may also since you're here, but I also ship Angelus/Darla and even Spike/Anya, which is not terribly different from most fans, we all like different pairings when we're in different moods. It is okay, really, like who you like and don't flame others just because they worship a different relationship, 'kay?

Slash - Boy, where would this site if I had not discovered the word Slash? Slash means any same-sex pairing. Here it means Male-on-Male, although there is of course fem-slash out there. Slash can run the gamut from a tender kiss to full on crying-to-a-higher-power-sex. Not all stories housed here actually have 'the sex' so even if slash isn't your thing hopefully you will find stories here to love. Just pay attention to the ratings and have fun.

Songfic - A story with song lyrics woven into a story, can also include stories inspired by a particular song. The basic thing to remember when writing songfic is that if your story can not stand without the song lyrics it will most likely not be better with them. Always take a good look at the piece without the lyrics to make sure you have written a cohesive story that can be enjoyed even if the reader has never heard the song you have in mind.

Spoilers - Plot elements that refer directly to things that have happened
in canon or to a specific episode and may spoil the episode or an entire season
for those who have not seen it. There are many countries that do not air Buffy
and Angel episodes for one to two years after their first run in the U.S.
If you are writing a piece that is episode specific always put a warning in
your posting text. This is not so much an issue, but is still considered polite
since some people may not have seen every episode.

Squee - An online term meaning extreme happiness, often seen when
a reader's OTP share an onscreen moment or when a writer gives the reader
just what they want. Also seen often when shirtless pictures of James or David
are posted.

Squick - A plot point, kink or device that turns the reader off or
pulls them out of a fic.

Subtext - Subtext on the shows refers to sexual undercurrents apparent to viewers. These are moments like in Buffy's "Beneath You" when the girl of the week asks if there is anyone there that hasn't had sex with each other and Spike and Xander look at each other then lower their eyes. This instance was a pretty blatant attempt by the writers at subtext, others may be a little harder to spot unless you are looking for them or have your gadar on high.

TBC - This means To Be Continued. Usually used in Series writing to indicate that the story has not yet ended.